Akhilesh writes to PM, wants Budget presentation after polls

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday urging him to postpone the Union Budget till the completion of Assembly elections in five states, including UP, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand.

The Supreme Court had on Monday rejected a petition seeking the postponement of union budget due to upcoming elections in five states. The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had earlier said that the budget
cannot be delayed on the account of state elections.

The letter sent to the Prime Minister mentioned the directive of the Election Commission issued on January 23 asking the Central government not to announce any specific welfare scheme for the five
states going to polls in the wake of the model code of conduct.

The Chief Minister reasoned that in view of the EC directive, poll bound UP, population wise the biggest state, would be deprived of development schemes in the union budget and it would have a direct
impact on its development affecting the growth of 20 crore people of this part of the country. Akhilesh reminded the PM that in February-March 2012, the then government had taken a decision to defer the budget on its own till the completion of the poll process at that time.

“As the representative of the people of the state, I request you consider deferment of the Budget till the poll process is over in all the state so that the development of the state and schemes in the interests of the people could be announced,” he added.

The letter sent to the prime minister earlier this week cited the Election Commission directive on January 23 asking the Central government not to announce any specific scheme for the five states going to polls in keeping with the model code of conduct.

The chief minister said that this may deprive Uttar Pradesh, having the maximum population in the country, of special schemes in the Union Budget which would have a direct impact on state’s development and interest of 20 crore people.

Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will be held between February 4 and March 8.